Young people seeking help with employment will be prevented from enrolling in the federal government’s Job Corps program due to concerns over mismanagement of funds.

The Department of Labor closed off new enrollment to Job Corps until at least June 30 after lawmakers complained about a budget shortfall that has now reached nearly $100 million.

The decision could impact as many as 30,000 young adults struggling to find work, and it could mean about 10,000 staffers losing their jobs.

More than 70 members of Congress from both parties wrote to the Labor Department wanting answers about the program’s budget problems.

Representative Elijah E. Cummings (D-Maryland) told The Washington Post: “The timing of this freeze could not be worse. Though our economy is adding jobs, the number of unemployed remains high. If you add to that the fact that many of the unemployed do not possess the basic skills to fill even the few jobs that are available, what you have is a country standing at a crossroads.”

Established in 1965 as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson’s war on poverty, Job Corps’ 125 centers provide young Americans between the ages of 16 and 24 with opportunities to earn high school diplomas, receive vocational training or earn certifications in more than 100 fields.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

To Learn More:

Job Corps Closes the Door on New Recruits (by Sarah Halzack and Josh Hicks, Washington Post)

Lawmakers Probe Shortfall in Job Corps Program (by Sam Hananel, Associated Press)